ANTIAGING TREATMENTS: BODY
Non-Facial Aging Skin Treatments
Our Aging Skin
Our faces are not the only part of the body to suffer
from a lifetime of photodamage caused by sun exposure
and from breakdown in collagen and elastin.
The neck, hands, decollete and legs can all successfully
be treated to rejuvenate the skin.
Over 90% of the damage to our skin is caused by sun
exposure. Typical signs of damage include: wrinkles;
lines; brown, red and white discolorations, and general
breakdown of the skin structure. The backs of the hands,
in particular suffer from these imperfections.
Antiaging Treatments for Neck and Chest Skin
Most common conditions affecting the skin of the neck
and chest are:
- Skin blotchiness
- Spider veins [telangiectasias]
- Areas of atrophy - white areas related to loss
of elasticity [poikiloderma]
Treatments for these conditions include:
Chemical [Glycolic] Peels and Bleaching Agents
- help with the pigmentation problems, including white
and brown spots.
Laser and Light Teatments [including
pulsed light lasers] - reduce redness. Lasers work by
heating and removing the top skin layers
Trichloracetic Acid (TCA) Peels -
used to even out skin colouration following laser treatments
and chemical peels. This is also useful to blend larger
areas, such as the face, which have become lighter due
to peels, with the neck and chest.
Nonablative Lasers - used to treat
sun damage on the neck and chest area. Nonablative lasers
work beneath the skin’s surface; targeting cells
that absorb the light’s energy. The underlying
sources of the skin discoloration break apart from the
laser’s light and become absorbed in the body.
Requires a series of treatments. There is no downtime.
Photo Rejuvenation - uses intense
pulsed light technology to correct imperfections on
the hands, neck, chest and face. The light penetrates
the outer layer of skin to reach the dilated vessels
or pigment. Requires a series of treatments. There is
no downtime.
Botulinum Toxin [Botox] - can be
used on the chest for diminishing wrinkles in décolleté
by relaxing the muscles underneath.
Antiaging Treatments for Hands
Among the most common problems associated with aging
hands are lentigines, or brown spots.
Bleaching creams, which patients rub on their hands
on a regular basis for the long-term. These work subtly
to reduce the discoloration of dark pigmented spots.
Chemical Peels [glycolic acid and
TCA peels] - remove dead skin cells and stimulate the
production of new skin cells to diminish age spots and
lighten the skin.
Cryosurgery - uses liquid nitrogen
to peel topical areas.
Lasers [including Q-switched Nd:
YAG laser] - to change the hands’ skin color and
remove spots. Very quick procedure [10 minutes]
Fat Implants - fat transferred from
other parts of the body is used to plump out the hands.
Antiaging Treatments for the Legs
The main aging conditions of the legs are varicose
veins and spider veins. These tend to worsen with age.
Varicose veins are abnormally swollen
or enlarged blood vessels caused by a weakening of the
vein’s walls. They can be treated with:
- Radio Frequency Closure - a small
catheter is inserted into the varicose vein to deliver
radio frequency energy to the vein wall, causing it
to shrink and seal shut. This is a painless procedure
with no downtime .
- Endovascular Laser Procedure -
a diode laser wire or fiber is inserted directly into
the vein to deliver laser energy, which heats and
destroys the vein.
- Sclerotherapy - injection with
sclerosing solutions to seal off the vein. Often used
in conjunction with other procedures
- Spider Veins are dilated small
blood vessels located close to the skin’s surface,
red or bluish in colour. They can be treated with:
- Laser [including the Nd: YAG 1064nm]
- use wavelengths to penetrate the skin of the legs
without heating the pigment. Typically, two to five
treatments, each lasting about 15 minutes.
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